JTO Real world design's Profile

I'm a minimalist. I like then sparse, clean lines of living simply. Then I got married to someone that gets sentimentally attached to items; things from his childhood, family heirloom furniture pieces, souvenirs... It was a point of contention in the house for a very long time. I would surreptitiously sneak items out of the living room and tuck them in his office space or even take them to our storage space if it was something that was only on display and hadn't been used for a ling time. We got into fights about it.

After 13 years of marriage, we have learned to respect each others' boundaries regarding "stuff". We have spaces in our home that are for our individual enjoyment and we have worked to merge our very different ideas of home design harmoniously.

This is a great idea. I have a box of lavender dryer sheets from the 99¢ store that I discovered gave me contact dermatitis when I used them with my clothes (see if I get laundry stuff there any more). I've been tucking them under the seat of my car as a deodorizer but I can't really use them for anything clothes or linen related because they make me itch so much. I'm going to try this!

Who has the floor space for this?

My favorite holiday tradition from childhood was the post-feast family poker game. We didnt have a television, so instead we took the opportunity to spend time rogether talking and laughing and telling stories, picking at leftovers, listening to music ... And the family poker game.

If you were old enough to get the basics of the game, you were old enough to play. Money was involved, so we learned early to save up small change in our piggy banks throughout the year. There were dishes of olives, gherkins, celery and carrot sticks, chips &dip, nuts and pretzels on trays around the table, and plenty to drink for all. Adults were allowed to smoke cigars --the only time this was allowed in the house.

Dad was always the dealer and he sat at the head of the dining table after the holiday feast was cleared, the tablecloth replaced with the green felt poker tabletop, and the ancient poker chip set made of painted wood pieces in a circular caddy was brought out from its place of honor in Dad's den. With great ceremony, he doled out piles of chips for cash (Mom was always the bank), shuffled the cards, and then paused to look at each player before dealing the first hand. This was serious business. I usually got the giggles right about then.

Once the game started, Dad would start telling stories. We would play long into the wee hours. Dad was a wonderful storyteller, and we laughed and sometimes cried, argued over poker hands, and it was the best time.

My father passed away in 1991, and it occurred to me the next holiday afterwards that he was still up $17 on me from our last game. Well played, Dad. Miss you.

Shoes off. About 90 percent of shoes have fecal bacteria on the bottom after you wear them for three months. Here's an article that should totally freak anyone out that has a child that's at the age of putting everything they find in their mouths: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41514712/ns/health-mens_health/t/dirty-truth-bachelor-pads-have-times-more-germs/#.UK3EUmt5mK0

Considering that power strips often live behind furniture like sofas and entertainment units, if there's air space around the strip, chances are none of the plugs will generate enough heat to start a fire.

It appears as if there are electrical and phone outlets inside the nook, so it seems perfect for an entertainment alcove. You can tuck your entire entertainment system in there, and the cave-like nook might even prove to be a nice amplifier for the sound. When not in use, you could hang sliding curtain panels (like these from IKEA - http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/10702/) to add a shot of color and texture.